Engineered tissues can be supported by the diffusion of nutrients from host vasculature. When the thickness of engineered tissue, however, exceeds 150-200 μm, the tissue's depth surpasses the oxygen diffusion limitation. Therefore, functional vasculatures within engineered tissues must be created to both supply cells with oxygen and nutrients and remove the waste products.
Reproduction of engineered tissue using various cell types with functional microvasculatures has not been successfully addressed. Therefore, a need exists for an improved cell printing technique utilizing inkjet printing technology to produce replacement cellular scaffolds, tissues, and organs.